ABU DHABI, UAE – Nissan Middle East has announced that it is helping launch the "Aqdar Drive Safely" program to instill safety and awareness in the minds of university students in the UAE and empower them to become "agents of change" in their communities.
This year's program theme is "Usage of Mobile Phones while Driving." It requires students to develop three elements for submission: a road safety campaign, a mobile phone application and a sculpture. The top three winners in each category will receive cash rewards totaling AED 180,000 and will earn the opportunity to implement their projects in the UAE with the support of Nissan Middle East.
The program is organized under the patronage of Lt. General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the UAE, the Khalifa Empowerment Program for Students (Aqdar), and Nissan Middle East.
Student submissions for the "Aqdar Drive Safely" program will be reviewed by a specialist jury and judged on a number of factors including sustainability, style, reach and effectiveness. The jury will comprise of key figures from the community including representatives from government, Nissan Middle East, RoadSafetyUAE, and road and transport safety experts.
سيف بن زايد يطلق من جامعة زايد مبادرة "أقدر أقود بأمان" ويزور مركز حميد الطاير لمصادر التكنولوجيا المساعدة لذوي الإعاقة#سعادتهم_في_سلامتك pic.twitter.com/9eENipxF3d
— MOIUAE (@moiuae) January 9, 2017
The program aims to instill safety and awareness in the minds of young drivers by engaging and rewarding them, while remaining a "for students by students" initiative. As a "for students by students" initiative, the program strives to reach a younger generation and communicate on their level through other students. This is widely seen as a more effective way to drive the safety message home. Its aim is to take advantage of the way young people think and act as a more effective tool to set the right perception, while empowering them through lectures and other educational material. The program allows them to express the innovative capabilities and creativity for the greater good of the community, particularly the university student body.
The event, which builds on the "Express your Love for UAE," initiative was attended by Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for Tolerance, Her Excellency Shamma bint Sohail Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth, Major General Dr. Nasser Lakhrebani Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, His Excellency Major-General Engineer Mohammad Saif Al Zafeen, Director of the General Directorate of Traffic in Dubai Police, as well as senior ranking officials from the police force and representatives of participating universities from across the UAE.
The official video for the "Aqdar Drive Safely" program was launched by His Highness at the event and across social media channels, with His Highness leading a tour of the displays and exhibits onsite, in addition to making the first pledge of the program to refrain from using a mobile phone while driving.
"The safety and prosperity of our nation's greatest asset, its youth, is of paramount importance to the leadership of the UAE," said Colonel Expert Dr. Ibrahim Mohammad AlDabal, General Coordinator of the Khalifa Empowerment Program for Students. "Having the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is a testament to the commitment our great leaders have made to end the tragic, unnecessary loss of life among young people. The UAE's Vision 2021 strategy sets a clear target of reducing road fatalities by 50 percent, and we are proud to partner with a global automotive leader like Nissan to help make this happen."
"As a global automotive leader, Nissan is determined to find solutions to two main issues facing humanity: gas emissions and road safety," said Samir Cherfan, Managing Director of Nissan Middle East. "Nissan's twin goals are zero emissions and zero fatalities. We aim to bring deaths and serious injuries from accidents involving Nissan vehicles down to virtually zero in two ways. Firstly, by continuing to develop our technologies, and secondly, by cooperating with local authorities who are investing in corporate social responsibility programs to change driver behavior. Nissan is a strong believer in public/private sector partnerships, and is proud to be involved in such an initiative that has tremendous relevance in the "Year of Giving"."
"Using mobile phones while driving is a key factor in many accidents involving youth," said Thomas Edelmann of RoadSafetyUAE. "According to the UAE's Ministry of Interior, approximately 63 percent of all traffic accidents during the first nine months of 2015 were caused by individuals aged between 18 and 35, and accounted for approximately 34 percent of all road fatalities. The use of mobile phones while driving was widely recognized as the main cause of car accidents among these young drivers."
To help drive engagement, Nissan is encouraging everyone to take a pledge on the program website or during the road shows visiting numerous locations across the UAE. Pledgers who commit to stop using a mobile phone while driving will have their photos showcased on a fleet of Nissan vehicles participating in the road show.
Complementing the program activities and road show is a widespread social media campaign to drive awareness among students – the initiative's main audience, reaching them via their favorite social channels.
Information on the program will be available at aqdardrivesafely.com where participating students will be able to submit their entries.
Khalifa students empowerment program & #NissanME Introducing #AqdarDriveSafely Program. In the presence of Lt General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed. pic.twitter.com/a04McAmRxZ
— Nissan Middle East (@NissanME) January 9, 2017
About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2015, the company sold more than 5.4 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 12.2 trillion yen. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan's global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan manages operations in six regions: ASEAN & Oceania; Africa, Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America and North America. Nissan has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and Mitsubishi Motors since 2016 under the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/. You can also follow @NissanMotor on Twitter.
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Contact
Yolande Pineda
yolande@nissan-me.ae
Mohammed Al Tawil
Mohammed.Tawil@nissan-me.ae